Recoil-brake for guns.



- PATENTED MAR. 17,1903. 0. LAUBER. 'REGOIL BRAKE FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION IILBD JUNE 16, 1902.

1rd nonnn.

OTTO LAUBER, onussEN-oN-THE-RUHR, GERMANY, ASSlGNOR To FRIED.

KBUPP, or ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY.

.TdE IL-BRAKEFQR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 722,724, dated March 17,1903.

Application filed June 16, 1902- Serial No. l11,899. (Nd model.)

To on whom it may, concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO LAUBER, engineer, a, subject of the Emperor ofGermany, and a resident of Essen-on-the-Bnhr, Germany, have inventedcertainnew and useful Improvements in Recoil-Brakes .for Guns, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to recoil-brakes for guns in which the barrelalone recoils, and particularly to a device for connecting thepiston-rod of the recoil-brake with the cradle or with the gun-barrel.

The object of the inventionis to provide connection which will permitthe quickest possible detachment and connection of the brake and holdthe piston-rod free from tend- .ency to bend. This object 'isaccomplished by thisinvention by having the rod of thebrake-pistonsecured to the cap which closes the end of thecradle or to ahorn on the breech of the gun through the medium of a bayonetj oint,thepiston-rod,and the cap,respectively, the barrel being held againstturning. V

One embodiment of this invention is represented by way-of illustrationin the accompanying drawings, in which the piston-rod is connectedwiththe cradle.

In the drawings, Figurel shows the recoilbrake, together with the partsof the gun which come under consideratiompartly' in side elevation andpartly in vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 isa detail view, on anenlarged scale, of parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on theline 3 3, Fig. 2, viewed from the right. Fig. 4 is a section on the line4 4:, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the forward end of therecoil-brake, and Fig. 6 is a front view of the same parts in which thecap is partly cut away.

The gun-barrel A is guided in a well-known manner upon a cradle B, ofessentially rectangular section. (See Fig. 6.) The cradle incloses thehydraulic brake C D, the recuperator-spring E, and a tension-screw F,which latter'serves at the same time for fixing the brake-cylinder O toa horn G-of the gun-breech. Therecuperator-spring E is slid upon thebrakecylinder C and abuts, on the one hand, against an abutment I-I,rigidly connected with the cradle, and, on the other hand, against ashoulder K on the brake-cylinder. The hydraulic brake may be of anydesirable character, so long as it will fulfil the conditions that thebrake-piston and with it the piston-rod are guided in the brake-cylinderwithout rotation. In the present case it is assumed that the piston T,which is rigidly connected to. the piston-rod D, is provided with anextension t, which engages in a rectilinear groove 0 of thebrake-cylinder C. The piston-rod D is provided with ahead M, constructedwithlateral projections m, Figs. 3 and ,4, which headis designed toestablish connection between the piston-rod and the' cradle B throughthe medium of a cap L, closing the forward end of the cradle in a mannerto be hereinafter more fully described. The cap L has the form of ahollow truncated cone, approximately, which is set upon a rectangularplate Z. The latter is provided with a' substantially rectangular ledgeN, which fits into the forward end of the cradle and secures the capLagainst turning. In the middle of two oppositely-lying side edges of theplate Z are provided lugs O,formed with slits o. On the forward ends ofthe side walls of thecradle B are two screw-bolts P, mounted to swing ina horizontal plane, which can be laid into the slits 0 and will thusserve, in connection with the nuts R, to set up an easily-releasableconnection between the cradle B and the cap L. Within the cap L andlying diametrically opposite each other are two segmental lugs l, offsetfrom the end of the cap L a distance correthe head M of the piston-rod.The lugs Z are'so shaped that they leave a free opening corresponding tothe section of the piston-rod head, through which opening the piston-rodhead may be easily introduced.

The assembling of the recoil-brake is accomplished as follows: Aftersliding the recuperator-spring E on the brake-cylinder O thebrake-cylinder is forced into the cradle of the gun-barrel, accompaniedby a compression of the springE from the front, until the screw F takesinto the threads of the cylinder extension 0'. The screw F is thenturned in until the extension 0 passes through jsponding to the heightof the extensions m on the abutment H and seats itself in the opening ofthe horn G and the brake-cylinder rests upon the horn G. By this meansthe recuperator-spring will be put under its initial tension. Then thepiston-rod D, together with the piston T,isintroduced into thebrakecylinder in such a way that the projection 15 of the piston engagesin the groove 0 of the brake-cylinder. The projections m of thepiston-rod head will now be found in a horizontal position. The forwardend of the brake-cylinder is now closed, and while the piston-rod hasnot been forced completely into the brake-cylinder the cap L is soplaced upon the piston-rod that the head of the latter enters theopening between the lugs Z of the cap L and its face lies against theclosed end of the cap. The cap is now rotated relatively to thepiston-rod ninety degrees, so that the projections m of the piston-rodhead M enter behind the lugs Z of the cap L and the cap is securelyfastened to the piston-rod in an axial direction. The cap L, togetherwith the piston-rod, is now moved until the cap comes against theforward end of the cradle, with the guilding-ledges N engaging in theforward end of the cradle. Finally the screw-bolts are clapped into theslits 0 and a rigid connection between the cap and the cradle isestablished through the nuts R. The brake-piston is now securelyconnected with the cradle through the medium of the cap L and remainfixed or at rest in the recoil and running-out movements of thegunbarrel, while the brake-cylinder follows these movements with thegun-barrel. The disassembling of the brake takes place in the reverseorder.

The described arrangement insures not only facility for assembling anddisassembling the recoil-brake, but the further advantage of permittingthe head of the piston rod to have play in a plane perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the rod, in consequence of which latter the piston,together with the piston-rod, can yield slightly and follow anydeviation of the brake-cylinder from its prescribed path, so that thetendency of the piston-rod to bend and uneven wearing of thestufIing-box will be prevented.

For those cases in which the brake-cylinder is secured to the cradlefixedly and the piston-rod is connected with the horn G on the breech ofthe gun-barrel, so that the pistonrod and piston partake of the movementof the gun-barrel, it is obvious that the openings and lugs shown in thedrawings as being provided in the cap L for the head M of the piston-rodwould be provided in the horn G instead. The conncction'of thepiston-rod with the gun-barrel would then follow in the same manner ashas been described above with reference to the connection of thepiston-rod with the cap or through the cap with the cradle.

Having thus described the invention, the following is what is claimed asnew therein;

1. In a recoil-brake for guns, a device for securing the piston-rod ofthe recoil-brake to the part with which it is to be connected,consisting of a bayonet-joint connection between said piston-rod and thepart with which it is to be connected, means for securing saidpiston-rod against turning, and means also for securing said partagainst turning.

2. In a recoil-brake for guns, a device for securing the piston-rod ofthe recoil-brake to the part with which it is to be connected,consisting of a cap having a bayonet-joint connection with saidpiston-rod, and means for detachably securing the cap to the part of thegun to which the rod is to be secured.

3. In combination withagun and its mount, constructed to move, the onerelatively to the other, in the recoil and running-out movements of thegun, a recoil-brake comprising a cylinder, a piston held against turningin the cylinder, and a cap having bayonet-joint connection with the rodof the piston, and means for detachably securing the cap to one of theparts of the gun between which relative movement takes place.

4. In a recoil-brake for guns, the combination of a cylinder, a pistonworking in the cylinder, but prevented from turning therein, apiston-rod, a cap having bayonet-joint connection with said piston-rod,and fitted to the part of the gun to which the piston-rod is to besecured, and bolts securing said cap in place.

5. In a recoil-brake for guns, the combination of a cylinder, a pistonworking in the cylinder, means holding the piston against turning in thecylinder, a piston-rod, a cap secured to said piston-rod with a turningmovement, and means for locking said cap against turning on the gun.

6. In a recoil-brake for guns, the combination of a brake-cylinder, apiston working in said cylinder, but prevented from turning therein, apiston-rod formed with projections, a cap having an opening receivingsaid projections, and lugs behind which said projections engage when thecap is rotated relatively to said piston-rod, and means detachablysecuring the cap to the portion of the gun with which the piston-rod isto be connected.

'7. In a recoil-brake for guns, the combination with a cylinder, 2.piston working in said cylinder and having a piston-rod, a capdetachably secured to said piston rod, and means for securing said capto the part of the gun to which the piston-rod is to be connected,consisting of the screw-bolts connected to said part, swinging laterallythereon, and carrying nuts, and lugs formed on said cap slitted toreceive the screw-bolts, substantially as set forth.

8. In a recoil-brake, the combination with the cradle, a barrel slidingthereon, a brakecylinder mounted within the cradle and secured to thegun, a piston working in the cylinder, provided with a piston-rod, andmeans holding the piston and rod against turning,

of a removable cap closing the end of the I cradle and securing thepiston-rod to thesaid cradle.

9. In a recoil-brake, the combination with the cradle, a barrel slidingthereon, a brakecylinder mounted within the cradle and secured to thegun, a piston working in the cylinder, provided with a piston-rod, andmeans holding the piston and rod against turning, of a cap secured tothe piston-rod by a turning movement, and means securing the cap to thecradle to prevent its turning.

10. In a recoil-brake for guns, the combination with a barrel, acylinder, a piston working in the cylinder, and provided with a p is' I5 ton-rod, of means movably securing the piston-rod to the gun.

The foregoing specification signed at Dusseldorf this 30th day of May,1902.

OTTO LAUBER.

In presence of- WILLIAM ESSENWEIN, PETER LIEBER.

